Walk-through passage structures are utilized for directing livestock from a pen or field to an animal restraining device or the like. The animal restraining devices take on many forms, including head gates and squeeze chutes and the like, and are utilized for branding, vaccination, or otherwise attending to an animal which requires that the animal be restrained.
While walk-through passage structures, or alleys, are well known in the prior art, they suffer several problems. Most prior art alleys utilize a plurality of fence posts mounted in the ground with fence panels affixed between the fence posts to form a passage. These fixed alleys were then utilized for every type of animal which the user was raising. Thus, small calves and large cattle would all utilize the same alley.
The problem with a single-width alley for both large and small animals occurs when running animals through the passageway. The animals will attempt to turn around within the alley if the passage is too wide. Once the animal gets turned around within the passage, it is very difficult to re-orient the animal and maintain movement through the alley. On the other hand, if the alley is designed with a width to accommodate calves, full grown cattle would not fit through the alley. Therefore two completely separate alleys having separate widths would be necessary.
Another problem with prior art passageways was that they would not permit easy access to animals within the passageway. Thus, if an animal stumbled and fell, the animal would be trampled before the consumer would be able to take off the fence panels to access the animal.
Finally, prior art alleys permitted animals to rear upwardly within the alley, thereby permitting the animal to potentially turn around or otherwise block the passageway.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved cattle alley.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cattle alley which is adjustable in width for various sizes of animals.
A further object is to provide a cattle alley which permits simple and quick access to the passageway.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cattle alley which prevents animals within the alley from rearing upwardly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cattle alley which is simple to operate, sturdy in construction, and refined in appearance.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.